The Starry Love (2023)

Intriguing, fresh story but execution issues hold it back . . .

Every romantic trope is here: from opposites attract, forbidden romance, memory loss, rescues, reincarnation etc. There are fresh conflicts and an opportunity for the women to stand in the rescuing role. I was cheered to see this, but a few things hold this drama back:

1) Too many climactic, should have been the end/resolution moments
2) The acting and chemistry of the main couple is off. Chen Xing Xu (ML) plays a quite stodgy one note character in order to show difference later on - but it makes for a boring first half and a lack of chemistry.
3) Music and production values are sub par. So much so, that I would be taken fully out of the story and clearly could see how they were acting in front of a green screen. When the actors, would struggle or say no - it was really hard not to laugh given it was clear nothing was actually holding them back.

The themes were all over the place as well, though I did enjoy the challenge to an older too rigid generation. This drama is worth a try but just one too many issues to make it into my top tier.

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Ashes of Love kind of drama

I first got attracted to watch this because of the ML (the male lead of Goodbye My Princess). I read two very bad review from this site, so it made me feel a bit apprehensive at first. But oh boy, I love it so much I binge watched the first 18 episodes in 3 days!

My favourite part is actually on ep 2 when our main couple had to cross the love bridge and found out they are soulmates (despite not liking each other at that point).

I love the bond the twin girls have. I was expecting one of them to be evil, but both are good people. So heartwarming to watch the girls protect each other, putting their sister above their love interest. The older sister reminds me of Cameron Diaz, they look like twins born at two different continents LOL.

This show is has a similar background as Ten Miles of Peach Blossom (Eternal Love) and Ashes of Love. Lo and behold, when I checked, apparently it has the same writer as Ashes of Love. So if you like those kind of movie, you'll love this. The best part is that it's only 40 episodes in total!!! The nasty remarks I read in the review here are because they forget this is a lighthearted fantasy drama. Not everything have to make sense! At least this is not a drama where the leads would get stabbed and coughing blood every episodes - THAT I can't stand. But Starry Love is not like that, so it's all good.

I'm halfway through now, hope they can keep the pace. I'm still heart broken that Immoral Samsara started strong then turned rubbish in the middle, then worsen to be ridiculous until the end..

#### UPDATE #### I never ended up finishing this. Can't remember, maybe life got in the way.

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Solid until ep 30

I've been waiting for the next drama on par with Ashes of Love and this although didn't meet that, it was a delightful drama overall. If you want action this is not it. There were definitely lots of lovey dovey scenes with > normal amount of pairings in a drama.

Wonderful Aspects:
-All that PURPLEEEEE <--- Hottest color
-Beautiful cast that can act!
-ML (which I was never crazy about) & FL had mediocre chemistry but there were plenty of laughs. I especially loved the FL Ye Tan. Thought she was just the right amount of silliness, cuteness, beauty & brains.
-2nd couple with Chao Feng & Qing Kui was definitely the best pairing in xian xia world with looks & chemistry.
-Gu Hai Chao (Chang Feng)'s 1st in command probably my favorite supporting character provided many comedic moments
-Strong supporting characters overall, few include: The wolf/dog/pup, the bird, the muscle head brother, and my favorite bad character the Void Queen. That beautiful badass mama you'd love to hate.
-Family relationships: Aside from all that coupling, I really loved the sister/sister, mom /son, & friends positive relationships.
-Cinematography / costume / makeup - One of the best aspects about xian xia dramas
-OST - yes overplayed and need a few more songs but the few songs are very good

And then after ep 30.....
-Story got sloppy, tiring and lost all the humorous moments. Scene progression didn't make sense
-One dimensional antagonist characters (both of the kings) got especially tiresome
-A bit overboard on # of resurrections & tear jerking flashbacks.
-Rushed ending with a summary narrative................ Aiyahhhh YYYYY

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I love this drama

I loved the “ML in fall in love” so i had high expectations for this drama based on the synopsis. And truthfully speaking I wasn’t disappointed at all. The combination of comedy and romance is just perfect but honestly speaking the drama is not too perfect due to the voice dubbing but the acting over compensated for this flaw. The FL Tan is a delight, she is just the heart of the show and I hope she continues with such energy in the show. I also think later in the show the playful side of the ML will be displayed too, since his brother has mentioned to Tan that he use to be fun before he had to go into seclusion so as to shoulder his duty as the crown Prince. But overall this my best show at the moment. I can’t wait for the next episodes to released.

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Decent but not great, lead couple had no chemistry

Decent, but not an great series that really tugs at any of my emotions or lingers long after I've finished the series. Seems they didn't have much budget for a star power cast.

Pros:
- I only watched it for the ML (Chen Xing Xu) because I loved him in Goodbye My Princess and the recent modern series My Boss. He just stood out so much compared to all the other leads and support characters.
- The storyline had such great potential - but the cast seemed to fall a bit flat.
- One of the few scenes that tugged at my heartstrings was when the ML was portraying the La Mu shard (fire demon) went to make peace w/ the villagers who misunderstood and accused him - he showed up w/ such hope, innocence and kindness but instead they attacked him. That broke my heart - and Ye Tan's reaction of pity and heartache for him. That was so sad.
- The scene of Man Man's death was really sad. I like her character and the funny, loyal friendship/sidekick relationship w/ Ye Tan was cute.

Cons:
- The lead couple Ye Tan and You Qing had little to no chemistry at all, which is crucial for this type of storyline of undying devotion/sacrifice for love (such as Ashes of Love, Ten Mile of Peach Blossoms, Love & Destiny).
- The cast was weak, no star power. I watch a LOT of dramas and I didn't recognize any of the lead or support actors (other than the ML Chen Xing Xu). The Heavenly Emperor was one of the worst, his acting was just awful, he literally had ONE facial expression the entire series!
- The two FLs (the sisters Ye Tan and Qing Kui) did not have the screen presence that these lofty roles required to captivate the audience - their acting wasn't terrible, but it wasn't great either. Qing Kui character was renowned for her beauty and gentle kindness - while the actress did portray the gentle kindness part, but she did not embody stunning beauty. She looked more like an actress that would play a 2nd or 3rd support role.
- When the ML was playing the womanizer shard, he came across as super gay/feminine rather than a womanizer/playboy.

OST - just ok, not memorable

Re-watch - nah, not worth the time

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I hope my interest kicks in.

I am only on the 6th episode and I really want to like this drama. When I am watching, I usually connect with a character and love to watch their story unfold. However, so far, I have been unable to connect to any character. All of their personalities are terrible. One is supposed to be super kind and gentle but ends up just looking weak and submissive, one is supposed to be the "hero" but just seems stodgy, and judgemental, one is supposed to be the anti-hero but just looks devious and cold, and the last one is the reason I want to turn off the entire thing. The sister that is supposed to be wild and mischievous is just bitterness in the flesh. All of her actions have a very bitter tone to them. Her rebellious nature just comes off as ignorant. She is thoughtless and mean, not in the least bit funny.
The plot really caught my interest because I am a big fan of that theme, but it has been a real disappointment and hasn't shown any signs of getting better. However, I will continue to the end and see if I can find the reason so many people gave it a great review. It deserves a chance and I will return with a final verdict.

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Un très bon wuxia drôle et émouvant

Super agréable et drôle, ce drama nous a tenu captifs malgré des faiblesses de réalisation et de scénario.

C'est donc un wuxia des plus classiques qui nous est offert avec de très gros points positifs :
- Un humour qui se démarque par un ton léger et à la limite de l'absurde et surtout au détour d'une réplique de manière totalement imprévisible! Bien que parfois tirés par les cheveux, nous riions de bon coeur et j'apprécie tout particulièrement que ce ton humoristique ne perde en rien de sa force jusqu'à la fin du drama (bien que la dernière partie sois moins drôle).
- Des personnages ultra-attachants! C'est un des plus gros points forts de ce drama. Les personnages sont drôles et attachants. Certains nous étonnent même par leur sensibilité et l'émotion qu'ils ont pu nous faire découvrir. Une fois n'est pas coutume, certains nous surprennent par des actions que nous n'avions pas anticipé. J'avoue avoir une préférence pour les personnages du Void, qui ont su me faire rire et me faire fangirliser de la manière la plus inattendue. Certains personnages nous étonnent par l'étonnant tournure de leur actions comme le père des deux personnages féminins ou Wu Dai. Et d'autres comme Hao Chao brille par des répliques intelligentes et drôles, ce qui je dois l'avouer en faisait un de mes personnage préféré.
- Des relations émouvantes et évoluant de manière logique, sensée, avec toujours beaucoup d'humour et de sensibilité. J'ai tout particulièrement aimé la relation : Youqin/Chao Feng, une bromance pétillante, l'amour des deux soeurs qui est le moteur de ce drama, l'émouvante relation de l'empereur et ses filles, la relation classique de Chao Feng/Hao Chao mais si poilante, et enfin Wudai/La sainteté dont j'aurai aimé un peu plus de présence à l'écran.
- Des protagonistes féminins qui sortent de l'ordinaire de par leur force et leur éclat. Brillant de générosité autant que d'un caractère bien trempé, j'ai adoré voir les 2 soeurs affronter les obstacles sans jamais se lâcher la main. C'est une chose que j'apprécie tout particulièrement dans les dramas chinois et qu'on ne retrouve pas beaucoup ailleurs, même chez les coréens (du moins dans leur drama récent), l'importance, la force et la solidité des relations familiales. L'opposition entre la maline et caractérielle de l'une complétait à merveille l'intégrité et la noblesse de l'autre.

Il y a des points à améliorer qui n'entache en rien le plaisir d'avoir regarder ces 40 épisodes. Mais si ces points avaient été plus minutieux, cela aurait été sans nul doute un must pour moi :
- Malgré une alchimie que l'on ne peut dénier entre nos deux couples, je trouve que cela manquait peut-être parfois de "battement fous". Je pense que les scènes où Youqin décide d'aller à l'encontre de tous en choisissant Yetan manquait d'intensité.... Par exemple, lorsque Youqin prend la défense de Ye tan devant son père, je n'ai pas ressenti d'émotion forte durant cette scène, cette rage de vouloir la défendre envers et contre tous. Par exemple, Lorsque Nin Qe dans "Ever Night" balance " si le monde doit aller à l'encontre de Sang Sang, alors j'irais contre le monde", cette rage dans la voix, ce visage ferme et décidé, aish mon coeur s'est emballé furieusement. C'est donc dommage d'avoir rendu ces dialogues assez plats et loin d'être épiques. Je revois d'ailleurs encore la scène incroyable de "Love Between Fairy and Devil", lorsque DongFang apparait et attrape Orchid par la taille, devant tous les immortels et déclamant de sa voix de stentor " Qui ose toucher à ce qui m'appartient ?", une scène où l'intensité du couple explose! C'est donc ce qui manque en grande partie ici.
- Ce drama est avant tout l'histoire des deux soeurs, il est donc logique de les voir affronter le monde. Ce que je trouve dommage c'est qu'une fois leur pouvoir révélé (celui des deux soeurs), les deux protagonistes masculins ne servent presque plus à rien. De par leur immense pouvoir, de par leur force indéniable, ils sont relégués au second plan et ne servent plus que soutien. Il n'y a donc plus d'équilibre entre les couples où tout est presque décidé exclusivement par les deux soeurs. Les autres ne feront que suivre.
- Les scènes d'actions du début disparaissent et moins bien réalisés par la suite. J'aurais aimé une participation de tout le monde, une guerre en bonne et dû forme. Je trouve dommage que tous les pouvoirs soient donnés à Ye Tan et qu'elle seule parte en guerre. Bien sur, sa douleur d'avoir perdu sa soeur lui donne ce droit, mais je trouve frustrant de la voir décimer à elle seule les deux "realm", les autres étant quasiment inutiles. J'aurais aimé quelque chose de plus grandiose comme dans la saison 2 d'Ever Night, lorsque tous les frères et soeurs de Nin Qe prennent le parti de se battre pour lui et Sang Sang. Mais ici, c'est une opinion personnelle.

Ce drama reste malgré ses petites faiblesses un grand moment de divertissement agréable où l'on rit facilement et où l'on suit les aventures de ce groupe solide avec beaucoup d'intérêt.

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L'importanza di rimanere fedele a se stessi anche se il mondo ti è contro

Una delle serie più sottovalutate qui su Viki, è davvero appassionante e coinvolgente, uno xianxia con ottimi effetti speciali e una colonna sonora straordinaria (la mia preferita), con un buon ritmo narrativo che annoia solo in un paio di episodi nella parte centrale (personalmente).
Parla di amore , doppia coppia quindi doppie emozioni, e genitorialità , prima mal gestita poi recuperata.
Finale non triste ma aperto, dà speranza.
Protagonista femminile coraggiosa, forte, anticonvenzionale, anticonformista insegna l'importanza di rimanere fedeli a se stessi nonostante tutto, è questo il grande e vero messaggio della serie.
Due storie d'amore come scrivevo prima: la prima si sviluppa subito a seguito di un quasi colpo di fulmine, e procede speditamente, la seconda si forma nella prima parte del drama ma racconta di un amore più profondo, che nasce attraverso la condivisione, il supporto, il sostegno e aiuta l'evoluzione dei personaggi.
La proposta che si porta in scena sostiene il concetto che gli opposti si attraggono, esattamente come yin e yang i protagonisti sono attratti da caratteristiche opposte nei partner, ma sono quelle caratteristiche che li aiuteranno a mettere in discussione se stessi e a migliorare come persone. Vedetelo, ne vale la pena!
Non do più stelle per il finale che è un NI, e per assenza di passione completa tra i protagonisti. Il personaggio maschile , sebbene affascinante, dimostra molti più anni e una maturità che poco si sposa col fascino fresco della protagonista che ne dimostra meno, e sembrano più padre e figlia che due amanti e giovani sposi. Chimica non pervenuta. Nella seconda coppia invece l'attore maschile è stato bravo a mostrare del desiderio , ogni tanto, nei confronti della donna di cui si innamora.

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